Quick Refrigerator Dill Pickles
These quick refrigerator dill pickles are EASY to make and require no special canning equipment! They’re fresh and crunchy, with just the right flavor of garlic and dill.
Several years ago I made a batch of refrigerator pickles with my friend Kelley of Mountain Mama Cooks, and I was hooked! I’ve been making a batch each summer ever since.
These pickles are so fun and easy to make, and require no other canning equipment besides glass jars to put them in. Seriously, anyone can make them! It takes less than 30 minutes to chop and assemble, and after 24 hours in the fridge you have the most delicious pickles with plenty of snap and lots of great flavor from fresh dill, garlic, and spices.
Table of Contents
- What are refrigerator pickles?
- Ingredients & supplies you'll need
- How to make easy refrigerator dill pickles
- Pickle tips & FAQs
- Get the recipe
What are refrigerator pickles?
“Refrigerator pickles” are cucumbers that are packed into jars with a boiled vinegar brine and stored in the fridge. After 1-2 days in the fridge the cucumbers have soaked up the flavors from the brine and spices and they are ready to enjoy! Refrigerator pickles will last for several weeks and even months in the fridge, but they are not shelf-stable like traditionally canned pickles and are not intended for long-term storage.
Enjoy these pickles on sandwiches or burgers, or as a snack or part of an appetizer tray. They also make great gifts for neighbors, friends and family!
Ingredients & supplies you’ll need
- 6 pint-sized (16oz) jars or containers with lids
- Kirby cucumbers or “pickling cucumbers”— they’re the best kind of cucumbers to use because of their size, lower seed count, and ideal firm texture.
- Dill seed, mustard seed, and whole black peppercorns— these spices boost flavor.
- Fresh dill— an absolute must when making pickles.
- Thai chili— optional, if you want a little spicy kick.
- Distilled white vinegar, salt and garlic— with water, these ingredients make up the brine solution to preserve the pickles.
How to make easy refrigerator dill pickles
The process really is so quick and easy! You can easily make this a 30-minute project.
- Pack cucumbers and spices into jars. Slice clean cucumbers into wedges/spears or slices/chips, and pack tightly into jars. Add mustard seed, dill seed, whole black peppercorns, and fresh dill so each jar has the same amount.
- Top with brine. Make a quick hot brine with water, garlic, vinegar and salt, then pour into each jar.
- Cover and store in the refrigerator. Place jars in the fridge and let them rest for 1-2 days before enjoying. It takes a few days for the cucumbers to soak up all of the flavors, so the wait it well worth it.
- Enjoy! These make great snacks straight from the jar, but you can use them all sorts of ways too.
Pickle tips & FAQs
You can find “pickling cucumbers”/Kirby cucumbers pretty easily at a summer farmers market. Grocery stores may also carry them seasonally in the summertime. And of course, you can always grow your own! It is possible to use other varieties of cucumbers (like English cucumbers, Persian cucumbers, etc.), but the results won’t be exactly the same, and the pickles may not be as crisp or snappy.
Pickles prepared with this recipe will last for several months in the fridge, if not longer. But I promise you will gobble them up long before then!
Yes! Feel free to use other vegetables like carrots, green beans, beets, red onion, or cauliflower in addition to, or instead of, cucumbers.
Get the recipe
Quick Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic , all heads peeled
- 6 cups water
- 3 cups distilled white vinegar
- ¼ cup coarse salt
- 2 teaspoons dill seed
- 2 teaspoons mustard seed
- 2 teaspoons whole black pepper seeds
- 3 lbs kirby cucumbers or "pickling cucumbers" , cleaned and sliced or quartered into spears
- 1 bunch fresh dill
Equipment
Instructions
- Add garlic and water to a large pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes.
- Add vinegar and salt and heat until salt is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Divide sliced cucumbers, spices, and dill evenly between the 6 empty pint jars. Scoop garlic out of the pot and add to the jars too. Each jar should be even with amount of cucumbers and spices.
- Use a ladle to spoon hot vinegar mixture into each jar, filling them almost to the top.
- Cover jars with lids and let cool. Store in fridge for at least 1-2 days before serving. Pickles will keep in the fridge for up to several months.
Notes
- If you don’t have kirby or “pickling cucumbers”, other cucumber varieties will work too. They just may not have the most ideal crisp texture.
- You can also replace cucumbers and pickle other vegetables like carrots, green beans, cauliflower, etc. The rest of the recipe stays the same.
- This recipe makes enough pickles to fill 6 pint jars, but you can use whatever size jars you’d like. Glass storage containers are ideal because they are non-porous and won’t leach chemicals like plastic can.
You might enjoy these other recipes that preserve the freshness of summertime:
I love how quick and easy your dill pickles recipe is! I tried it last weekend, and they paired perfectly with my sandwiches. Thanks for sharing such a delightful way to preserve summer flavors!
I love to hear that Richard! Thanks for the feedback and recipe rating.
If you’ve never made quick refrigerator dill pickles, you’re missing out! They’re super easy just slice cucumbers, add fresh dill, garlic, vinegar, and a few spices, then pop them in the fridge. In just 24–48 hours, you’ve got crisp, tangy pickles that beat store-bought every time. I store mine in my Avantco Refrigeration https://avantco-refrigeration.pissedconsumer.com/review.html unit, and it keeps everything consistently chilled so the pickles stay fresh and crunchy for weeks. If you’re into prepping ingredients or small-batch pickling, Avantco’s refrigerators are reliable and perfect for both home and commercial use.
Hi! We want to make these this weekend, but I actually have no idea where to find kirby cucumbers in Salt Lake. Where do you typically buy them?
Hi Emily! Pickles like this are definitely easiest to make in the summer when cucumbers are in season, and I usually get mine from the farmers market or stores like Smith’s or Harmon’s. This time of year Trader Joes or Whole Foods might be your best bet for small pickling cucumbers, but honestly, any cucumbers will work in a pinch if that’s all you can find. 🙂
Thank you!! It makes sense that they’re seasonal; explains why we couldn’t find any at Smith’s or Whole Foods, haha. We got some smaller “mini” cucumbers that we’re going to try it with this weekend!